


End of the Night

by Kyarorain



Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-13 17:56:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21195218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyarorain/pseuds/Kyarorain
Summary: "That night" has come again and they wait in the place where it all began.





	End of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Fictober prompt "Dark".

It was cold and dark outside, as one would expect on an early morning in late December. In spite of that, here Jowd was, sitting on the edge of the empty fountain. On one side of the fountain was a bent pillar, serving as a reminder of what happened here ten years ago. They never did replace the hunk of concrete, known as Mino, that used to sit on top of the fountain, and quite understandably so. Nobody had ever solved the mystery of just how it had come to fall off and almost crush a little girl in the process.

Jowd took a sip from his coffee and exhaled, his breath forming a white cloud in front of his lips. He looked up at the tapestry of twinkling stars overhead. At least the clear sky allowed for a good view, he thought.

Cabanela, leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed, let out a loud exhale. "Whatever would anyone think seein' us hangin' out here on an early December morning? Probably think us insaaane."

"Like anyone's going to come by at this hour. Anyway, you didn't have to come, you know."

"What, and leave you sittin' out here in the cold all by yourself, baby?" Cabanela looked at him with a smile. "What kind of friend would I be if I couldn't even keep you company? Anyway, I looove gettin' up bright and early."

"Believe me, I know," Jowd said dryly. More often than not, he found himself coming along for whatever Cabanela had planned on these bright and early mornings. He sipped at his coffee again. "Shouldn't be too long now, I think."

Cabanela raised his head, gazing up to the stars. "Wonder what I was thinkin' right at this time around then?"

"I imagine you were sleeping. Surely they would have doped you so you could rest easy with those broken bones."

"Hmph. Like I'd be able to sleep for worryin' about you, baby. You had gone off with Lynne to catch the manipulator and there I was, a sorry heap of broken bones who couldn't even come along for the ride. Then you all ended up trapped at the bottom of the sea. Kamila too." Cabanela shook his head. "I shudder to think about it. Trapped in a dark and cold submarine, sinkin' to the bottom of the sea... thank goodness you found a way out."

"Yes. It was a miracle Sissel was even able to get to me. Thank goodness I'd given Lynne that watch. Everything could have so easily ended there."

"And I would never have known what had happened to you. I'd never have seen any of you again. What a cruel thought. But, well, here we are." Cabanela smiled. "Sittin' out in the freezing cold, looking at the stars, and not a single one of my bones are broken. Yeah, nooothin' like it, baby." He brought his flask of coffee to his lips and took a long sip. "Maybe we should do something today. I'm in the mood to celebrate. How about you?"

Jowd shrugged. "Well, why not." The world around him suddenly flared red and he found himself looking at a black cat. "Well?"

"You were right. How does that work anyway? One moment I'm in my body, the next I'm in the fountain nozzle."

That fountain nozzle had been manipulated by Sissel ten years earlier in order to save Lynne from being crushed by Mino. Sissel hadn't given it much thought, but Jowd had the foresight to return to the park, just in case.

"Time travel is weird, eh?" Jowd said with a smile. "Welcome back. Although, I guess, it doesn't seem like you really went anywhere."

"Course not. I've been with you the whole time. And what a wonderful ten years it's been." Sissel looked up to where the moon hung in the sky, large and luminous in appearance. "The night is finally ending. It's a strange feeling."

"It is, isn't it? Those ten years are behind us at last. Well then, you ready to go home?" Jowd pulled his police badge from his coat.

Sissel hopped into the available core on the badge. "Ready."

"Okay, Cabanela, we're off." Jowd rose to his feet. "And not a moment too soon. My butt is freezing."

"Alriiight." Cabanela leaped up and put away his chair. "I might like early mornings, but this was pushing it. Off we go, to our home sweet home."

Jowd and Cabanela expected to return to a dark and silent house. They saw the dim light in the lounge and heard a faint sound as soon as they entered. The source of the sound turned out to be the television with its volume set low. Alma was on the couch, snuggling under a large blanket. She immediately got to her feet and went over to them.

"Welcome back." Alma embraced each of them in turn. "Goodness me, you're both freezing."

"You didn't have to wait for us," said Jowd. "It's still so early."

"Whatever were you thinking, baby? We wouldn't have wanted you sittin' out here like thiiis," Cabanela said, with a hint of dismay in his voice. "You should be in bed."

"It's fine. Now, I'm going to make some hot chocolate, so you two just get under that blanket. That's an order." 

"Well, guess we better do what she says," Cabanela said with a shrug and smile as Alma hurried away to the kitchen. "Not that I'm complainin'."

Jowd and Cabanela got under the blanket. Alma soon returned with three steaming mugs and joined them. The sweet brown liquid was a welcome relief for the two men. Soon enough, their bodies were warm and the memory of the freezing cold soon forgotten.

"Sissel's okay?" Alma asked.

"Yeah, I expect he's gone back into his body. Probably upstairs with Kamila."

"Good. Glad he's not stuck out there in the park." Alma rested her head against Jowd, smiling with half closed eyes.

Cabanela let out a huge yawn, covering his mouth. "Ahh. Goodness me, I'm gettin' sleepy."

"Think we should just go to bed?"

"Is there a need?" Alma snuggled closer to Jowd. "I think we're fine here."

"I couldn't agree more, baby."

"Guess I can't argue with that."

Before long, the three of them had dozed off, snuggled together as close as possible beneath the blanket. They slept soundly through the rest of the night, eventually waking to find that the sun had risen. Kamila was seated on a chair, reading a book with Sissel in her lap. Her face brightened as she saw them stirring.

"Good morning!" Kamila got up, walking over to the sofa. "Did you all fall asleep watching television again?"

"Hmm, something like that." Alma rubbed her eyes. 

"Ahh." Cabanela stretched his arms over his head. "Now that was a looovely sleep."

"Come here and give your dad a hug." Jowd held his arms out. Kamila scrambled onto his lap and he embraced her warm body. It was such a relief to think that she was here, safe and sound, not freezing to death in the dark, sealed off from the rest of the world. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, smiling contentedly. 


End file.
